Traditional tertiary teaching models shortchanging neurodivergent students in health care studies

Article excerpt

A Deakin University study of 183 neurodivergent graduate health-care students across Australia found widespread struggles: stigma in classrooms, inadequate institutional support, and byzantine systems for accessing accommodations. Led by Associate Professor Laura Gray at the Damion Drapac Center for Equity in Health Professions Education, the research surveyed students in occupational therapy, nursing, and other health disciplines. The findings suggest traditional tertiary teaching models, designed without neurodivergent learners in mind, create preventable barriers for students preparing to enter health-care professions.